Benefits are encouraging immigrants to move here

THE Romanian family of 17 living in a three-bedroom house in Harrow, north-west London shows exactly why immigrants from Eastern Europe are so desperate to move here.

Published: 00:56, Wed, July 23, 2014

The parents should not have had more children if they cannot support them financially [Tim Clarke]

The Toma family is supported by father Mihai's £1,800 a month earnings as an electrician as well as benefits totalling £4,600 a month. All told the family income is £76,800 a year, far higher than the average British family's.

Mihai is to be commended for working rather than purely living on handouts but the sum being given to the family by the welfare state is unfair on the taxpayers who fund it and unsustainable at a time when the Government is working hard to control its spending.

The family lives in a privately rented house that has just three bedrooms. They lied to the landlord to secure the lease and with 17 people crammed in the property is statutorily overcrowded under the Housing Act. It is of no surprise that the family's response to such overcrowding is to ask the local council to provide them with larger accommodation. Harrow council officials having done the right thing in turning down that request.

Living in such a cramped space is undoubtedly tough on the whole family especially the children, some of whom even have to share beds, but the parents should not have had more children than they can support. Handouts should not exist to look after people who have made irresponsible decisions, especially not those who have arrived here recently and not paid much into the system.

Ukip now attract less attention than during the build-up to the European election

LORD ASHCROFT provides good news for Ukip with his latest poll showing that the party are on course to win Commons seats in Thurrock and Thanet South.

Although Ukip now attract less attention than during the build-up to the European election they are still appealing to a large number of voters sick of the EU and rampant immigration and mistrustful of what they see as a distant political class dominating Westminster.

Ukip have made no secret of their desire to attract Labour voters and according to Lord Ashcroft that is exactly what they are doing. Leader Nigel Farage will be delighted that the party's efforts are paying off.

AROW has been brewing between rival tea brands Tetley and PG Tips with PG Tips forced to prove their claim that pyramid-shaped teabags produce a better cuppa. For the sake of civility it is to be hoped that this disagreement - which had reached boiling point - begins to cool now.